On page 391 of the textbook, brain development is discussed and something caught my eye. The term myelination refers to the process where nerve cells are insulated by a covering of fat cells. This myelination increases during adolescence and it works to assist neural impulses to get from the brain to the various other parts of the body. I was diagnosed with M.S. (Multiple Sclerosis) in April of 2006. I had never studied M.S. prior to my diagnosis and since being diagnosed I have studied the process of myelination (or in my case demyelination) quite extensively. With M.S. the body attacks itself for unknown reasons and the covering of fat cells on each nerve cell is slowly eaten away by the body which creates a lesion. This lesion creates a blockage to where nerve impulses sent from the brain cannot get through to other parts of the body. Currently I take a once per month infusion of a newly approved drug known as Tysabri and my only symptoms of M.S. are numbness and tingling in my legs and feet, extreme sensitivity to heat, and fatigue. There is still no cure for M.S. and little is known about the disease, however I am confident we will find a cure within my lifetime.
Both the physical and cognitive development within the adolescent years is interesting and I can't help but wonder if something did not develop adequately for me which created my M.S. Perhaps during my teenage years, the myelination that should have taken place only took place partially and left my nerves open to the effects of the disease. Only time will tell where M.S. comes from and why some get it and some do not, however it will be interesting to find out if various developmental stages within the teenage years can work to thwart or encourage the onset of this disease.
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